Account book and binder



y 1935. H. D. CLARK 2,009,981

I ACCOUNT BOOK AND BINDER Original Filed Feb. 1:5, 1930 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Fl 6 INVENTOR. -?6 flag]: D. Clark A T TORNEYS.

July 30, 1935. H. D. CLARK 2,009,981

ACCOUNT BOOK AND BINDER Original Fil ed Feb. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

' porting the leaves thereof, such for example as Patented July 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ACCOUNT BOOK AND BINDER Hugh D. Clark, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Sales Book Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application February 13, 1930, Serial No. 428,016 Renewed January 15, 1935 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bookbinders and more particularly with reference to some of its intimate features it relates to binders for account or record books for suploose record leaves, in position.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved binder of the class mentioned which is simple in nature, inexpensive in production costs and yet is very easily operated and eifective and convenient in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide in binders of the class mentioned an improved support or supporting post constructed and arranged whereby the top cover and the record leaves may be shifted between open and closed positions with a minimum of time and effort and when open for posting the part of the book being written upon will lie flat and smooth so as to receive the inscription without hindrance.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a binder of the class mentioned an improved supporting post for the covers and leaves which will effectively avoid humps, bulges or other irregularities on the writing page when the binder is open for posting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved binder whereby account or similar leaves may be placed in position or removed by means of a simple and practical arrangement entirely avoiding the use of springs, clasps, keys or like auxiliary means to open or operate the binder.

Another object is to provide a binder of the class mentioned having improved cover-supporting posts for supporting the top binder cover either in open or closed position without distorting the writing surface.

Other objects of the invention will be in part pointed out in the following detailed description of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of the invention and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a loose leaf account book equipped with the improved binder.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation, parts being in section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective open position, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a leaf showing its structure for attachment to a supporting post.

For a detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings showing a form of the improved binder which includes a back cover 5, a top cover 6 and a pair of supporting or illing posts I attached to the back cover. The pack 8 of record and auxiliary leaves is held in position by the binder being specially formed for supporting engagement with the supportingposts I.

As shown, the back cover 5 comprises a main body part 9 and a post supporting part 10. This and the other cover may be finished or covered with any desired form of material such as leather or composition material and the part 9 is connected to the part ID by means of a flexible connection ll extending between the adjacent or proximate parallel edges of these parts, thus permitting the two parts of the cover to swing or turn with relation to each other.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the cover part III includes a flat oblong or elongated supporting bar or plate I 2 preferably of metal over which the covering material may extend as shown at l3. The back cover is thus principally comprised by the part Sand the supporting bar I 2 with the flexible connection extending between the proximate edges of these two parts. The top cover 6 may be similar in construction to the bottom cover including the main part I 4 and the supporting part IS with the intermediate flexible connection IS. The supporting part l5 includes a supporting bar "which may be similar in general construction to the supporting bar [2 but is provided with transverse spaced openings I 8 for the reception of the supporting posts later described.

Binding or supporting posts I extend between the upper and lower covers, two posts being shown in the present embodiment. Each post is rigidly connected to the supporting bar [2 in any preferred manner such for example as threading to an aperture formed in a supporting bar. It will be observed that each post connection I9 is positioned nearer to the inner edge of the bar [2 than to the outer edge thereof and it is preferably positioned very closely to said inner edge for a view of the binder in reason fully described below. The connections I! may be additionally brazed or welded to make them perfectly rigid and to prevent turning or movement of the posts from their normally aligned position.

- These supporting posts are both of metallic construction, preferably circular in crosssection and of solid or tubular formation. The lower parts thereof are preferably straight as shown but the upper parts are turned or curved rearwardly to provide rearwardly disposed supporting extensions 25. These supporting extensions may be turned in a smooth curve from the supporting posts I and may have rearwardly disposed free ends usually positioned at some distance above the plane or level of the back cover 5 somewhat to the rear terminal thereof. The free ends of the supporting extensions are preferably formed as shown with supporting lugs or enlargements 2| adapted to engage with and support the upper cover when swung to open position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown, the rear supporting extensions 20 are preferably positioned in parallel relation with each other.

Various forms of record leaves may be bound by means of the binder described and these may be appropriately ruled for accommodating different record requirements, As shown, the pack of leaves 3 includes a plurality of. sets of record leaves, each set including a duplicate record leaf 22 and an original record leaf 23. The original and duplicate leaves of each set are preferably formed from a single sheet of paper, by folding it transversely intermediate its ends as indicated at 24 whereby the original leaf may overlie the duplicate leaf in'manifolding relation therewith. Also, the end portion of the duplicate leaf 22 remote from the fold 24 is formed with a pair of supporting apertures 25 for engaging with the supporting posts I through which the latter may extend. An opening or slit 26 extends between each supporting opening 25 in the adjacent or rear edge of the duplicate sheet as best seen in Fig. 4. These slits form passageways through which the posts I may pass when, placing the leaves in position upon the posts or removing them from position thereon. These .slits are preferably V-shaped, diverging or flaring outwardly toward the adjacent edges of the sheets, thus facilitating the entry of the posts from the outer edges of the sheets.

Each set of leaves including the original 23 and duplicate 22 includes also a transfer leaf 2I interposed between the original and duplicate leaves and provided on its underside with transfer material. This transfer leaf lies between the original and duplicate leaves when the latter are folded together in manifolding relation whereby inscriptions made on the leaf 23 are transferred to the leaf 22. These transfer leaves are preferably of light tissue material and the upper or attached end thereof may be free of transfer material for a distance as indicated at 23 whereby certain data such as names, etc., written at the upper ends of the leaves will not be transferred. Transfer material is preferably placed only on the underside of each transfer leaf 21 but may be on both sides if desired so as to transfer inscriptions to the underside of leaf 23 making the inscriptions on said leaf difficult to erase or alter. Each transfer leaf 21 may also as shown have postengaging openings at one edge thereof with vshaped entrance slots 29 similar to the slots 25 already described and similarly spaced. There may be a number of backing leaves 35 included in the pack 3, one such leaf being shown in Fig. 3. These backing leaves are preferably of material somewhat heavier than the other leaves such for example as manila paper, so as to provide a backing support for the sets of record leaves while being written upon. These backing leaves may also be provided with tabs 3| whereby turning of the leaves is facilitated. These tabs may be provided with index letters and the backing leaves may be positioned so as to divide the sets of record leaves into a plurality-of alphabetical groups, such as suggested diagrammatically in Fig. 2. Also, each backing leaf is provided with post engaging apertures with V-shaped entrance slots 32 similar to slots 26.

There may also be a control or summary leaf 33 specially ruled for the reception of summary data and mounted upon the supporting post I in a manner similar to the other leaves already described. This control leaf may be positioned on top of the other leaves so as to be readily inscribed with summary data. It will thus be seen that any of the leaves described may be attached or detached from the supporting posts independently of the other leaves. Any of the sets of original and duplicate leaves 22 and 23 together with their transfer leaf 21 may be removed at will independently of the other leaves.

As mentioned above, the supporting posts I are supported upon the bar i2 eccentrically to the longitudinal axis thereof and nearer to the inner than to the outer edge thereof. That is to say, the supporting bar or member l2 has an outwardly or rearwardly extending part lying beyond the center line between the posts I, that is, beyond the straight line through the post centers at the supporting connections thereof, said posts being mounted upon the supporting member so as to be nearer to the inner extremity thereof than to the outer extremity of said outwardly extending part. Thus the supporting posts I are asymmetrically mounted upon the supporting member I2 with ref erence to the inner and outer extremities thereof, thus providing a stabilizing device for the book and binder. By virtue of this arrangement when the rearwardly disposed post extensions 23 are supporting the thrown back leaves and top cover, it will be observed that the tendency to distortion or bulging or other irregularities of the back leafsupporting cover will be very considerably minimized with the consequence that there is less tendency to distortion or bulging of the writing surfaces of the leaves with the improved result that said writing surfaces are maintained in smoother and more nearly flat condition whereby entry of the inscriptions is facilitated. This improved result is accomplished by virtue of the decreased tendency of the supporting bar I2 to tilt, throwing its inner edge upwardly when the top cover is thrown back as described. with the present eccentric mounting of the posts, there will be very little tilting of the supporting plate l2 when the cover is thrown back and thus the writing surface is maintained flat and smooth, while at the same time, the top cover and the upper leaves are moved to such a position as to avoid obstruction to the posting operation.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A bookbinder having a plurality of cover-supporting posts each with a rearwardly turned coversupporting part formed with a cover-supporting stop lug, a back cover including a flat oblong bar flexibly connected with another part of the cover and said posts being mounted upon said bar inwardly from the longitudinal center line thereof.

2. A bookbinder having a plurality of cover-supporting posts each with a rearwardly turned coversupporting part formed with a cover-supporting stop lug, a back cover including a flat oblong bar, a flexible connection between the inner edge of said bar and the body part of said back cover and said posts being supported by said bar and connected thereto nearer to the flexibly connected edge than to the opposite edge.

3. A bookbinder having a plurality of cover supporting posts each having at the upper part thereof a rearwardly curved portion terminating in a cover-supporting lug, aback cover, a post-supporting bar having flexible connection at one edge thereof with said back cover, said posts being connected to said supporting bar nearer to the flexibly connected edge thereof than to its opposite edge.

4. A book binder having a plurality of posts, a leaf supporting back cover including a post supporting member having a flexible connection with another part of the cover, said posts being mounted upon said supporting member, said supporting member having an outwardly extending part embodied therewith and extending outwardly from the center line between said posts, and said center line of the posts being nearer to the inner extremity of said supporting member than to the outer extremity of said outwardly extending part.

5. A book binder having a plurality of posts each with a rearwardly disposed leaf or cover supporting part, a leaf supporting back cover, and a post supporting member over which the leaves may lie and having a flexible connection with said cover, said posts being mounted upon said supporting-member nearer to said flexible connection than to the outer extremity of said supporting member.

6. A binder for record books having a back in cluding two flexibly connected parts and leaf supporting posts having rearwardly extending parts for carrying the book leaves when thrown back to open position, said posts being directly firmly anchored to one of said back parts nearer to the inner edge than to the outer edge thereof.

7. A binder for record books having a back including a back part and a flat long post supporting bar with certain edges thereof in adjacent relation, a flexible connection interposed between said adjacent edges, and leaf supporting posts having rearwardly disposed parts for carrying the book leaves when thrown back to open position, said posts being directly firmly anchored to said supporting bar at the inner side of the longitudinal central axis thereof.

8. A binder for record books having a back including a back part and a flat oblong supporting bar with certain edges thereof in adjacent relation, a flexible connection interposed between said adjacent edges, and leaf supporting posts anchored to said supporting bar at the inner side of the longitudinal centralaxis thereof, said posts having upper rearwardly disposed supporting extensions with cover supporting lugs thereon.

9. A binder for record books having a back including a back part and a flat oblong supporting bar with certain edges thereof in adjacent relation, a flexible connection interposed between said adjacent edges, leaf supporting posts anchored to said supporting bar at the inner side of the longitudinal central axis thereof, said posts having up-f per rearwardly disposed supporting extensions with cover supporting lugs thereon and a top cover including flexibly connected parts one of which is provided with apertures respectively receiving said posts whereby said top cover may slide and swing thereupon between closed and open positions.

10. A bookbinder having a plurality of posts, a leaf supporting back cover, a post supporting member over which the leaves may lie and having a flexible connection with said cover and a front binder cover connected to and supported by said posts and having a flexible part whereby it may be thrown backwardly upon the posts, said posts being mounted upon said supporting member nearer the inner extremity thereof to provide a stabilizing device.

11. A bookbinder having a plurality of posts, a leaf supporting back cover including a post supporting member having a flexible connection with another part of the cover, and a front binder cover connected to and supported by said posts and having a flexible part adjacent the posts whereby it may be thrown backwardly upon the posts, said posts being mounted upon said supporting member, said supporting member having an outwardly extending part embodied therewith and extending outwardly from the center line between the posts, and said center line of the posts being nearer to the inner extremity of said supporting member than to the outer extremity of said outwardly extending part.

HUGH D. CLARK. 

